Veteran ATHEIST guitarist Rand Burkey has been forced to bow out of the band's forthcoming festival performances due to legal troubles. Filling in for Burkey on the upcoming reunion shows will be veteran guitarist Chris Baker. Baker will be joining core ATHEIST members Kelly Shaefer (vocals), Tony Choy (bass), and Steve Flynn (drums) as well as guitarist Sonny Carson (who will be playing Shaefer's guitar role due to Shaefer's long-running battles with tendonitis and carpal tunnel). Baker and Carson are currently playing with Steve Flynn's new band GNOSTIC.

Commented Shaefer: "In fine ATHEIST tradition, we've been dealt another set of obstacles to overcome. These new problems have made these upcoming shows come very close to not happening but Chris is an extraordinary player, and has done a great job on the very difficult task of dissecting and learning Rand's guitar parts. Not having Rand be able to take part is a disappointment to us, but we have always honored our band commitments, even in the face of unbelievable odds, and this will be no exception. We've been playing these songs for months now, they are sounding great! We simply cannot wait to get it on!"

As previously reported, ATHEIST will be performing the following songs on their upcoming tour:

Speaking as a 3rd party who has watched Mr.Baker play with Atheist, Baker does an excellent job. I know it sucks not to see the full band, but the music will NOT suffer. Chris has nailed Rands solos. Incredible is all I can say. I tip my hat to Mr.Baker. He is working his ass off on this stuff.

No one said "oh Rand won't be there, therefore I won't go". It's nothing against Baker (or Sonny), it's just too bad that both Atheist guitarists can't play now. I mean, Sonny filling in wasn't much of a surprise, we've all known about Kelly's hand, but this Rand thing is just sudden.

No one said "oh Rand won't be there, therefore I won't go". It's nothing against Baker (or Sonny), it's just too bad that both Atheist guitarists can't play now. I mean, Sonny filling in wasn't much of a surprise, we've all known about Kelly's hand, but this Rand thing is just sudden.

I totally agree... I'm still booked up for Bloodstock & Wacken - Atheist were my ONLY reason for wasting money on either, so for that reason alone I hope they don't pull the plug on these shows. I'm positive Chris will do an admirable job on the live dates... I don't doubt that for a second - Although, you can't help but feel slightly dismayed at Rand not being in attendance. I think his inverted guitar playing is what helped make a lot of the bands music sound so unique. His unorthodox playing is really an integral part of the bands general aura, and it's difficult to imagine him not being there on stage with them. I'm just hoping no-one else drops out, otherwise it's gonna end up being an Atheist cover band...

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Tyler says: 'If this is your first time on the forum... you have to fight!!!'

No one said "oh Rand won't be there, therefore I won't go". It's nothing against Baker (or Sonny), it's just too bad that both Atheist guitarists can't play now. I mean, Sonny filling in wasn't much of a surprise, we've all known about Kelly's hand, but this Rand thing is just sudden.

While I agree, and I was definetly looking forward to seeing Rand in action, I guess I am so used to people immediately jumping ship and slamming away because of "only" one member's issues, even with such an event like this. My knee-jerk rection is to plow against that idiocy of fairweatherness. Now I know that people here on the forum wouldn't deviate from the shows, I hope I didn't imply that. I'm sure that no matter what, I came off as a nutswinger. Oh well. So be it. :begdn6:

I'm exhausted, so I hope that makes sense. AND I'm about to start four racks of ribs using my super special secret method for all the mothers in my life tommorrow. I hope this batch isn't the first bad batch.

Burkey forced to bow out of ATHEIST performances
Veteran ATHEIST guitarist Rand Burkey has been forced to bow out of the bands forthcoming festival performances due to legal troubles.

Filling in for Burkey will be veteran guitarist Chris Baker. Baker will be joining core ATHEIST members Kelly Shaefer, Tony Choy, and Steve Flynn as well as guitarist Sonny Carson (who will be playing Shaefer's guitar role due to Shaefer's long-running battles w/ tendonitis and carpal tunnel.) Baker and Carson are currently playing with Steve Flynn's new band GNOSTIC.

"In fine ATHEIST tradition we've been dealt another set of obstacles to overcome. These new problems have made these upcoming shows come very close to not happening but Chris is an extraordinary player, and has done a great job on the very difficult task of dissecting and learning Rand's guitar parts" says Shaefer. "Not having Rand be able to take part is a disappointment to us, but we have always honored our band commitments, even in the face of unbelievable odds, and this will be no exception. We've been playing these songs for months now, they are sounding great! We simply cannot wait to get it on!."

>>>>

Legal troubles???? Can't get a work permit in time??? WTF???? :(

Such a shame... but the show must go on. And after hearing Gnostic... we're in safe hands with the replacement....

Hey everybody... yes, we're all disappointed in and about Rand. However, nothing is going to be cancelled and we even added the shows in Greece and look to do even more Atheist shows both in Europe and the U.S. in the coming months.

At the end of the day, it really means that only ONE of the original U.P. members won't be there....I feel bad for Rand. He's a good person that has gotten himself in a bit of a pickel. We can't talk in detail about his troubles, we'll leave that to him.

Sonny and Chris have done an amazing job. We just wrapped up a marathon rehearsal session and things went very, very well....(I don't even want to look at drums for a couple days.... ;) we're all very excited about the upcoming shows.

I totally agree... I'm still booked up for Bloodstock & Wacken - Atheist were my ONLY reason for wasting money on either, so for that reason alone I hope they don't pull the plug on these shows. I'm positive Chris will do an admirable job on the live dates... I don't doubt that for a second - Although, you can't help but feel slightly dismayed at Rand not being in attendance. I think his inverted guitar playing is what helped make a lot of the bands music sound so unique. His unorthodox playing is really an integral part of the bands general aura, and it's difficult to imagine him not being there on stage with them. I'm just hoping no-one else drops out, otherwise it's gonna end up being an Atheist cover band...

Yo everyone, dont worry we have literally busted our asses to make this happen and it will happen and you guys will not be dissappointed. In fact you might just be suprised at how it sounds!! Rand will be missed this go around, but we are playing these tunes note for painstaking note, baker has duplicated rands solos, and both he and sonny have some minds to blow.
Just hearing the opening notes of UP in rehearsals gave me goosebumps.
You have Tony Choy, Steve Flynn, and myself,as originals. NOTHING else will be changing, the shows will be amazing, and we look forward to meeting you all, we are working on a way to be able to have long meet and greets at EVERY show so we can meet all of you who have been so supportive for all these years. so cheer up ATHEIST IS COMING TOWN FUCKERS!

I can't fucking wait for this shit!!! I really need to meet you guys - I got 2 sets of your albums to get signed! I'm hoping you may plan a wander round the merch stalls at Bloodstock (as there's less people there than there will be at Wacken) at a pre-planned time so I can grab some photos with you all as well (sometimes with these festival signing tents, the bands end up sitting behind tables about 10 feet away & are so far away that there's no way on earth anyone gets a chance for a photo with the bands). If you guys get there early and get a feel for the layout of the land, let us all know at the end of the show if you're gonna have a wander after your full-on signing session.

Like I mentioned, I don't imagine for a second that Sonny & Chris will fuck up on this one - I know they'll lay down the fucking law! They have nothing to prove to my ears. I was merely having a small panic attack at the news of Rand not being able to make it this time round. I just hope that you guys may continue to do one-off festival shows for a few years and maybe come back on occasion at a later date (hopefully with Rand, if he manages to conquer his current oppression). I still maintain a one-off show in London would be very welcome...

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Tyler says: 'If this is your first time on the forum... you have to fight!!!'

Tony may want to comment here further..... but, you're right Tony was playing in a Latin band called "Area 305" for some time, but he's always been a musician with broad interests, talents, and experiences. He's also been producing, recording and doing a lot of work behind the scenes. However, he's never "left" metal. Like all of us, he's explored many areas of music. He hasn't changed his love of the music since his days in Cynic, Pestilence, and Atheist. And as soon as this opportunity came along for us to get together to play - as well as work on future projects together - he jumped at it. He's still the same Tony Choy.....

Tony may want to comment here further..... but, you're right Tony was playing in a Latin band called "Area 305" for some time, but he's always been a musician with broad interests, talents, and experiences. He's also been producing, recording and doing a lot of work behind the scenes. However, he's never "left" metal. Like all of us, he's explored many areas of music. He hasn't changed his love of the music since his days in Cynic, Pestilence, and Atheist. And as soon as this opportunity came along for us to get together to play - as well as work on future projects together - he jumped at it. He's still the same Tony Choy.....

Nothing wrong with it, I was just surpriced to hear he wants to play metal again. Is he in a band now or only area 305?

wow.. I had always known that Tony had played in Atheist, Cynic and Pestilence, but it never really hit me that he is the only one to have played in all three of the bands that are dubbed the leaders of the tech/jazz metal of the early 90's. weird.

Having just recently found out about the brilliant Atheist and buying all their reissues right away (bought Piece of Time not knowing much, then went back to the local record store and hour later to buy the other two), I'd just be happy to see them live at all. Music in the States just sucks with brilliant artists getting little recognition for it until it's all over.

Well, I posted this on the Celtic Frost forum and Atheist was very well received. In fact, whenever there was a Death or Cynic thread, the name kept coming up, so I decided to try.

In closing, there's at least one New York fan willing to see the show.

Wow! Thanks a lot man. We really appreciate it. I'm glad you got turned onto the band...better late than never....We'll be playing the states and we couldn't do that without playing in New York. We'll see you there.

Unfortunately, I was young during the first wave of many metal bands, but I was into the Coroner, the Obituaries, and so on.

Now that I'm older, I have the means to actually seek out and find the bands that helped shape the music many of us listen to today, such as the Cynics, Celtic Frosts, Watchtowers, Deaths, and of course, Atheist. There are just so many bands out there to find whose music was so ahead of its time that it can still hold up against the more technologically improved recordings of today.

Be very careful of the new Celtic Frost. The new Celtic Frost doesn't bear a lot of resemblance to the old Celtic Frost. Their new album disappointed me tremendously. Still, that's only my opinion. I'm sure a lot of people will love it.